September 27, 2016: Tesla founder Elon Musk unveiled on August 23 the latest battery pack for the automaker’s Model S and X cars that he claims extends the range beyond 300 miles.
The Model S P100D can also accelerate to 60mph from zero in 2.5 seconds, he said, calling the upgraded battery “a profound milestone” in the fastest production car on the market today.
“The Model S P100D with Ludicrous mode is the third fastest accelerating production car ever produced,” says Tesla, and although faster cars have been made in the past by Porsche and Ferrari, they were no longer produced and were never for the mass market.
Musk said his goal was “to build a great electric car that everyone can afford”.
Sales of electric vehicles in the US have not lived up to forecasts, according to Bloomberg, which said sales in 2015 were 17% lower than in 2014, perhaps because of cheaper fuel prices.
But the EV market is bound to heat up with General Motors, BMW, Hyundai and Ford all confirming they will launch electric vehicles in 2017.
GM will bring out a Chevrolet Bolt, BMW an i3, Hyundai an Ioniq Electric and Ford a new Focus, although none has claimed a range of 300 miles.